Then, we check back in on city budget negotiations. Many of the proposals to close the massive shortfall facing the city are controversial – from public safety cuts, to a bottle tax, to taxing nonprofits, to the newest proposal to tax billboards, oversized trucks, and video poker machines.

We start off the discussion with a look at how another city tried a creative approach to budgeting. Alderman Joe Moore from Chicago’s 49th Ward set aside $1.3 million of his budget and let his constituents decide how to spend it. People gathered at meetings to propose spending ideas, and voted to determine how the money should be allocated.

Then, we speak with City Council members about the latest developments in our budget.

The Marc Steiner Show airs Monday thru Friday from 10AM to Noon on WEAA 88.9 FM. The show covers the topics that matter, engaging real voices, from Charm City to Cairo and beyond. Call us at 410.319.8888 or email us to participate live in the show, or share your comments on our site! Aren’t in Baltimore but want to listen? Stream the show live.

Comments

I m the caller Larry that asked the city leaders about finding a way to let the average working man buy a house from the city. I explained to them that the expectation and requirement of funding is so unrealistic for the average working family of Baltimore city…of course they shot it down by explaining that it was tried before…now I m a life long 52 year old citizen of Baltimore. I never…ever… heard or remembered the city doing anything like what I advocated, from what I’ve seen from the past is…someone or some organization or business will present their plans for a property to be renovated by misrepresenting actual money in their control, based on expected money from a bank loan or something or another …then they get the homes and let em sit…now every year the city is taking in more and more homes onto their and our city budgets…every year they demand that people have to have upfront money to do anything so every year more and more homes are left degrading, turning into ghettos. i believe that if you keep doing something over and over again and expecting a different out come…its the definition of foolishness….well….now its over 30 thousand ….30 thousand abandon houses in this city…how many will be added next year?
I bet that when this city was built they didn’t hold out homes for only a few rich people…it was built by our fathers that worked and saved up their money to buy a home with the small wages that they earned ..then as a home owner, they tooked pride in having their own peice of the world…and they used their labor and wages and made improvements …upgrading what they had …working every day to make a better life…so here is my point…
the city would be wise to just simply access each house…put a fair market value on each house …then sell that house and collect the tax on that value at that price and let any man who has the money to buy…buy…buy that house and then be patient…working off wages is a slow steady improvement that could take years…but the work would be done…lay off the fines…give people time to do the work. We live in a instant quick fix society, where patience isn’t practiced these days…

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